You Ridiculous Return Policy

How was the sales help rude? Oh, wait, I know, they told you NO!!!!
Classic case of no = rude.

Are you trying to get some kind of result with a letter like this? I
doubt it will bring anything but the same in return. Bascially TRU
refused to take back an item without a receipt. Knowing that the same
product may have different sku numbers for different vendors, is it at
all possible that your Rude letter may be based on the fact it was NOT
purchased from TRU? And why SHOULD TRU take it back?
While it may SEEM a non issue, it actually is. Returns cost stores
money, manhours, and time to process. If there's no proof it was
purchased there, why should THEY incurr the added expense? Their
policy, as well as many other stores, may seem strict, but in order to
stay competitive, they have to.
As far as Target taking it back and making fourties of dollars, maybe
the toy was purchased there and the sku was still in the system.
Target's return policy is what it is because of exactly your type of
behavior.

It's not clear to me why this person's actions have been so soundly
ridiculed. I'm not sure it's fraud to return the TRU item to Target
(though it might be immoral) because there's no clear harm to Target.
In fact, Target might find the profit margins from Heather's
additional business an attractive exchange for any nominal restocking
costs. It's patently false that the individual Target store's
inventory tracking would suffer because of the return; returns cross
over store boundaries over the entire store network, and that's a big
reason why folks buy from Target. It's true that Target can't simply
act as a clearinghouse for unwanted, receiptless (but otherwise
salable) items, but the cap at two returns seems to adequately cover
this concern (and even this cap seems ludicrous given the fungibility
of consumer goods and the costs to consumers to make the return). TRU
clearly erred in its rigid return policy, and the only real question
is whether the nonsensical policy is a cause or an effect of TRU's
financial troubles over the last few years.

In a previous life was your name Adam? Think the surname was Wheeler
or something like that.

Unfortunatly Toys R Us does have this policy- maybe that's why so many
of them are closing down? Don't know, the ones around here are also
dirty, and I try really hard to not shop there. Plus most of the time
I can get the same thing at Wal-mart or Target for a lower price.
But the three Toys R Us that I have shopped at in the past 3 or 4
years automatically gives a gift receipt, and whenever I give a gift,
I include it- just me....

They don't owe you an apology. No means no. I guess in the future,
gift receipts are the way to go...tell your friends and relatives.

Maybe next time you could ask for people to provide a gift receipt (If
they provide them). I know that you may not feel comfortable asking,
but it would save hassle in the end. I know that I never give a gift
without a gift receipt. Even if they do it take it back, it gives them
the means to do so as well as it gives them something that they really
want.

As for Toys R Us, kudos to them for standing firm on their policy.

They have receipt policies because of scammers like you, who return
things to other stores. Target allows you two returns a year without
receipt, so will your next letter be bitching about Target denying
your returns on merchandise bought at yet another store? The receipt
policy also helps stop shrinkage due to people returning stolen items.

If every scammer was given free reign to return their bogus
merchandise, no store would last very long. Get off your high horse,
and stop whining. Just because you heard the evil word "no" does not
mean you received bad service. It just means you expected unreasonable
service.

There are policys in place because people are always trying to get
around the "proper" way to make an exchange. When you try to return
an item that wasnt purchased at that location, inventory gets screwed
up. I work for a retailer and its amazing what people try to bring
back. Crap they just picked up off the shelf and walk straight to
customer service for a refund. Used make-up, baby formula,fresh or
frozen items, none of that can be resold, its a loss! And all the
times I've heard it didnt taste good. Some people have their
receipts, not all. And people wonder why prices are so high....

And which kid are you going to be?

I would never return something to a store if I didn't buy it there or
know for sure it came from there. I guess that's because I have a
conscience.

I was just wondering......Does a Target kid have a big red bullseye on
their shoulders? Does a Walmart kid have a big yellow smiley face?

Hopefully your kids will be more honest than you.

Get a clue. No policy change, no apology. No gift card, no free toy,
not a gall darned thing.

I think everyone is being a little harsh on Heather.

I dont think they should be rude to you, but I dont think saying no is
a sign of rudeness.

So - - your kids are going to be Target kids - - huh? Keep in mind
that you can make two returns or exchanges per year without a receipt,
so if I were you I shop at Target until you've pushed them over the
edge and then move on to Walmart. After that I'm afraid you will be
SOL.

You must know Adam . . .he also returned something at Target that he
didn't buy there . . .and didn't see anything wrong with it.

We get a lot of folks here who have problems with Target's return
policy (only twice in a year without receipts) . ..can you track the
letters that are sent through here to Target and let those folks know
that it's people like you that make stores have those kind of
policies.

I'm sure you would never got to someone's house and steal something,
but you did steal from Target - you knowingly "exchanged" something
there that you knew didn't come from there - that's theft.

You know.. after coming back from CVS after someone stole baby formula
I guess (the manager ran out after someone and I saw another employee
looking at the cans of formula).. it takes a REALLY pathetic person..
noneless a PARENT.. to do a fraudulent return.. YES fraudulent... I
personally think you should get fined at the least. Yes you didn't
steal.. but you KNOWINGLY returned it to a different store after the
other place woulnd't let you because you didn't have the receipt. Its
called a GIFT RECEIPT LADY!

You know why Toys R Us has a return policy like that? Because of
scamming customers such as yourself who return items to Toys R' Us
that they did not purchase there.

Target took money out of their cash register for an item you did not
buy there, and which they may not be able to sell, which is kind of
strange considering they have a similar return policy. That you spent
more money there later does not make it right.

Next time sell the extra toy on ebay and use the money to buy more
toys wherever you decide to shop.

The reason Toys R Us has that strict of a return policy is because of
shoppers like you - people who will return items to any store whether
or not it was purchased there. Grow up!

You beat me to that comment. Very nice.

.

"Until you apologize for your rudeness and change this policy, my kids
will not be Toys R Us Kids. They will be Target kids, Walmart Kids,
and specialty toy shop kids. Do you think that that will help you gain
market share? "

Target Kids? Walmart Kids? Specialty Shop Kids?

I think they're just going to be, if they aren't already, plain old
brats.

Hahaha, you honestly don't see the correlation between the "normal"
person like yourself and stores getting destroyed with excessive
returns? So lets take a look at the picture, we already know that
when you're desperate you are willing to lie (in front of and for your
kids, no less) and commit fraud by signing the receipt which declares
your original purpose when purchasing the item. So we have two points
down, you are a liar and a fraud that is willing to work a system for
your own advantage. This is evidenced by your actions at Target.
Now, you are nothing special because the average American family is
willing to do this (which is the second most disgusting problem
Americans have today, the first being gluttony). Do you not see why
places like Toys-R-Us have to put a "no-receipt, no-return" policy in
effect? Because if there is a single "glitch" in their policy then
other people who are willing to lie and cheat their way to take
advantage of that oversight will cause problems until the policy is
reevaluated and changed. Congratulations, you (and people like you)
are your own damn problem!

Ditto what everyone else said. You committed fraud by taking a Toys R
Us toy back to Target. And since you used up one of your two-per-year
return allowances, I look forward to your anti-Target letter when you
try and pull the same thing again.

However, I have to disagree with people who said it is not rude to ask
for a gift receipt from the gift giver. In some families, it is. My
side of the family is great about receipts. However, my MIL for a long
time was not so good with receipts, and would get offended if you
asked for one. She's gotten better, though.

Looking forward to the day your children are taken away from you. They
deserve better.

Congrats on getting away with fraud. Hopefully you will get busted for
that as well.

Its people like you (you know, doshonest) that have caused stores to
tighten their return policies.

Heather, it is not rude to ask the gift giver for the receipt,
especially considering it is a gift receipt specifically designed for
that purpose.

I would much prefer someone ask me for the receipt than knowing the
gift was not needed and possibly wasted. I realize a lot of people
feel the way you do about it, but it's simply the way things are done
now, and I think it's about time everyone got used to it.

So make sure when you buy all those family gifts, you get gift
receipts to pass on to the recipients. It will save them a lot of
trouble if the gifts need to be returned for any reason. And if you
need to return a gift, don't hesitate to ask for the receipt. Sooner
or later this will become common practice, and everyone will feel
comfortable with it.

I'm confused. How do you know that the toy was purchased at Toys R Us?
If you asked the gift giver, then why couldn't you ask them for the
receipt?
Did you just pick Toys R Us as the place you would return it? That's
why they HAVE these policies; so that people can prove the item was
purchased there.

FYI, I have 2 young sons, 6 nieces & nephews, a huge multitude of
cousins with young children - in other words, "a lot of birthdays to
buy gifts for, and a lot of gifts to give." And with each of those
gifts, I include a gift receipt. For the older children, I'll put the
gift receipt in the box or gift bag. For the younger children, I give
the gift receipt directly to the parents. I even write a description
of the gift purchased at the bottom of the gift receipt to make it
easier to match them up. And I ask for gift receipts from the people
who give gifts to my chidren. I don't consider that to be rude. And
if they have children & have ever attempted a return without a
receipt, they don't consider it ot be rude either. It's a pain to
make a return without one. Why bother with the hassle? Make it
easier for everyone by just using the gift receipt.

I hate dealing with Walmart, but if they have the item I want at the
best price, I shop there. I'm not going to pay more or limit my
selection just because I don't like one or two things about a store.
Just about the only place that I avoid religiously regardless of the
circumstances is Chuck E Cheese - just thinking about that place makes
me twitch!

I'm sure the sales help wasn't rude about the policy - just firm. It
wasn't worth losing his or her job just to make you happy.

Can I ask you what may be a stupid question, Heather?

Do you know for certain that BOTH toys came from TRU? If one came
from another store, take it back there, or better still ASK FOR THE
STUPID RECEIPT. There's no crime in it.

People get duplicate gifts all the time. Don't you think whoever gave
your son the gift would want to see him get something he'd actually
enjoy instead of 2 of a kind?

Bottom line is that the policy is no returns without a receipt - they
don't have to make their policies more "family friendly" and it's lame
of you to suggest that because you have a family that you deserve some
sort of preferential treatment.

There are plenty of "non-families" that would like to do no receipt
returns too!

ANOTHER fraudulent return?? And you just admitted that to the company.
Its reasons like THAT that they have strict policies. Ur pathetic

You, my dear, and others like you are the reason so many places have
such restrictive return policies. Congrats, you should be proud of
yourself.

Returning a toy from one store at another is wrong and is the prime
reason places like Target and ToysRUs have return policies like they
do.

If you actually want to make a difference, not just cut off your nose
to spite your face, start giving gift reciepts and requesting them in
turn.

"No" does not equal rude. Unless you provide an example of said
rudeness, leave it out of the letter. Otherwise I'm going to assume
that the sales person told you the policy and you just didn't like
what you heard.

So... you scammed target into returning a toy that wasn't bought
there? I hope you are setting a better example for your children then
to teach them that scamming and manipulating is ok if you get what you
want in the end.

Wow. Way to show your kids the right way to act, returning a toy from
Toys R Us at Target.

Or maybe the toy was actually from Target in the first place.

Yes, a policy in place to keep prices down for honest customers is
just plain crazy. Crazy enough to KILL?

Also, I am sick of the term "family friendly". What's that supposed to
mean? Someone with kids? What about a childless couple? Aren't they a
family?

If you had no proof that the toy was purchased there, what obligation
did they have to do a return?
The public has enjoyed a long run of lax return policies from lots of
retailers, but when the scammers and crooks came out in droves,
something had to give.
It's not outrageous in any way, shape or form to insist on a customer
having a receipt for returns.

"I have three young boys, twelve young neices and nephews and a lot of
birthdays to buy gifts for, and a lot of gifts to give."
And for the love of pete, get gift receipts.

Sigh. Once again, what is "rude"? An employee merely repeating the
store policy with which you disagree?

And it's people like you, returning items to the wrong stores, causing
these policies in the first place.

Way to teach the kiddies how to get one over on big business by taking
items back to stores they weren't purchased from! Great parenting,
there. I hope your thrilled when your lessons get them in trouble
later in life. Difficult return policies are there to help stop
people like you- can't wait for your next letter about Target's
policy!

My quess is that you didn't want to take no for an answer and extended
the discussion with the clerk - after they said no and explained the
policy several times, you think they are rude. You didn't know where
the gift was purchased so you picked Toys R Us since they have a wide
selection. You and everyone else that receives a gift without a
receipt.
As far as losing market share, where did you get this? Since they
started the return policy they are actually gaining sales. (see
Businees Week story earlier in the year) Oh yea - the policy has been
in place 1 1/2 years - I would think if you shopped there you would
know this.
Target - try taking the next couple of returns back without a receipt
and you will not be able to with their return policy.

It is not rude to ask for a gift receipt. I always do, the gift giver
would rather see you get something that works or fits then having to
either throw it away or give it away.

And you wonder why returns are the way they are, what with you taking
a Toys R Us toy back to Target. As Harleycat said, you used up one of
your non-receipt returns up at Target.

You took a toy purchased at Toy R Us back to Target for an exchange?
That's just wrong!

BTW, Target only lets you exchange 2 items per year without a receipt,
you just used up one.

It is not rude to ask a gift giver to provide a receipt if you
received two of the same item. Gift givers can also ask for a gift
receipt and attach it to the gift.